The first woman from Michigan elected to the U.S. Senate 12 years ago advised the 2012 graduating class at Alma College during her commencement address Saturday to always stand ready to expect the unexpected.

Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., had only to remind graduates of a 1995 Newsweek magazine science article, written the same year they entered kindergarten. What visionaries predicted for the Internet then, the writer pooh-poohed as a trend and predicted no online database will replace the daily newspaper or no computer network will change the way government works.

It's amazing to think how much has changed since then, said the senator, emphasizing to always remember what is constant is change.

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Stabenow invited the 320 graduates to use their skills of critical and creating thinking learned at Alma College to help create the world they want to see in the next decade.

"The future is yours," she said.

Stabenow, born in Gladwin, grew up in Clare where her mother worked as a nurse and her father and grandfather owned a car dealership.

On Saturday, Alma College awarded Stabenow an Honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

Alma College President Jeff Abernathy recognized her work championing Michigan's Great Lakes and waterways, and contributions to manufacturing, job creation and agriculture. Stabenow chairs the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry. She is a member of the Senate Energy, Finance and Budget Committees.

She was happy to share the stage she said with David Provost, a 1976 Alma College graduate, and past chair and current member of the college Board of Trustees.

Recipient of a Doctor of Letters degree, Provost is president and chief executive officer of Talmer Bank and Trust of Troy, considered as one of the fastest growing banks in Michigan and Wisconsin.

Encouraging those who have not decided on a future, Stabenow said that is OK, because their most important attribute is being able to problem solve.

Stabenow said no matter what their stage in life, the new graduates should always to be on the lookout for new challenges, even those that bring wrong decisions. The lesson is to be willing to learn from the mistakes we make, she said.

She encouraged graduates to appreciate who they are as humans and to keep constant the values and core beliefs honed at Alma College. Always keep in mind tenants to treat others with respect and to place faith and family first.

"Always take time to see the beauty," Stabenow said, drawing on the natural beauty of the Wolverine State as example.

Known for her infectious smile, Stabenow mentioned the importance of keeping a sense of humor and to laugh even when life offers challenges.

An Alma College education entails community involvement and service. Stabenow asked graduates to carry this tradition on into their adult life. Being responsible for your community is "a part of being an American citizen," she said. "And believe in yourself."